Ragi ( Eleusine coracana )

Water Management (Nursery)

Provide one inlet to each nursery unit.
Allow water to enter through the inlet and cover all the channels around the beds.Allow the water in the channels to raise till the raised beds are wet and then cut off water.
Adjust the frequency of irrigation according to the soil type.

NOTE :

One irrigation is given on the 3rd day in the case of red soil to soften the hard crust formed on the soil surface and also to facilitate seedlings to emerge out.
Do not allow cracks to develop in the nursery bed by properly adjusting the quantity of irrigation water.

Main Field Water Management

Regulate irrigation according to the following growth phases of the crop

Stages	No. of irrigations	80 days	Crop duration 100 days	120 days
Vegetative phase(Nursery)		1 to 16	1 to 18	1 to 20
Vegetative phase (in main field)		1 to18	1 to 20	1 to 22
Flowering phase		19 to 40	21 to 55	23 to 69
Maturity phase		Beyond 40 days	Beyond 55 days	Beyond 69 days
Heavy soils
Establishment(1-7 days)	1	1st day	1st day	1st day
2	5th day	5th day	5th day
Vegetative phase(8-20 days)	1	18th day	20th day	20th day
2	31st day	33rd day	30th day
Flowering phase(21-55 days)	1	41st day	42nd day	37thd ay
2	51st day	52nd day	44th day
3	--	--	63rd day
Maturity phase(56-120 days)	1	61st day	62nd day	78th day
2	--	--	93rd day
Stop irrigation thereafter
Light soils
Establishment(1 – 7 days)	1	1st day	1st day	1st day
2	5th day	5th day	5th day
Vegetative phase (8 - 20 days)	1	15th day	16th day	16th day
2	26th day	28th day	28th day
Flowering phase (21 - 55 days)	1	36th day	36th day	36th day
2	45th day	45th day	45th day
3	..	54th day	54th day
Maturity phase (56 - 120 days)	1	58th day	69th day	78th day
2	70th day	85th day	93rd day
Stop irrigation thereafter
NOTE: The irrigation schedule is given only as a general guideline. Regulate irrigation depending upon the prevailing weather conditions and receipt of rain.